Audiotapes and a transcript of an interview with Kushner were given to the Library
by Anne Kasper in October 1983. The papers of Rose Kushner were given to the Schlesinger Library
by her husband Harvey Kushner between March 1995 and April 2014.

Copyright. Copyright in the papers created by Rose Kushner is held by Harvey Kushner.
At the donor's death, copyright will pass to Gantt, Todd, and Lesley Kushner, Harvey
and Rose Kushner's children, as stipulated in the donor's will. At the death of the
last of these children, copyright will be transferred to the President and Fellows
of Harvard College for the Schlesinger Library.

Copying. Papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures.

Rose Kushner, journalist, breast cancer expert, and patient advocate was born in Baltimore,
Maryland, on June 22, 1929, the fourth child of Israel and Fannie (Gravitz) Rehert.
After graduating from high school she worked for animal behaviorist Dr. Horsley Gantt
at the Pavlovian Laboratory of Johns Hopkins Medical School (1947-1951). She married
Harvey Kushner in January 1951 and they had three children: Gantt, (born 1952), Todd
(1956), and Lesley (1958). As she had always wanted to be a physician, Kushner took
pre-med courses at Baltimore Junior College (1949) and Montgomery Junior College (1963),
but switched to journalism and received her A.B. summa cum laude from the University
of Maryland in 1972. She freelanced as a journalist in Bolivia and Vietnam (1967),
wrote articles and an unpublished book, "The Peacehawks," covered the Yom Kippur war
(1973), and did some medical writing.

The discovery of a breast lump which proved to be cancerous in June 1974, changed
her life. Finding that there was little information available, she researched the
topic in medical and technical publications and kept notes as she underwent lumpectomy
and reconstructive surgery. An article based on her own experience appeared in the
Washington Post and was syndicated in hundreds of newspapers. Her book Breast Cancer: A Personal History and Investigative Report (1975) was revised and reprinted twice, as Why Me? (1977) and Alternatives (1984). For her books and numerous articles about breast cancer she received awards
from the American Medical Writers Association (1980, 1985). She was awarded the Medal
of Honor (1987) and the Courage Award (1988) by the American Cancer Society. She founded
the Breast Cancer Advisory Center (1975) to provide information and support for breast
cancer patients and was frequently called before Congress to testify on health and
cancer topics. In June 1977, she was the only non-physician chosen to be on an National
Institutes of Health (NIH) panel, which adopted a two-stage procedure instead of the
Halsted radical mastectomy as the standard treatment for women suspected of having
breast cancer. As a result, a biopsy that located a breast lump was no longer automatically
followed by a mastectomy.

President Jimmy Carter appointed Kushner to the National Cancer Advisory Board (1980-1986),
where she brought her skills as an investigative reporter and patient advocate to
medical policy-making and task forces. She was a founder of the National Alliance
of Breast Cancer Organizations and served on its board from 1986 to 1989. This umbrella
organization linked many local groups, published a newsletter, and lobbied for policy
reform. Her report on her trip to China (1984) drew attention to the spiraling increase
in the incidence of breast cancer there and the need for self-examination as a means
of prevention.

In June 1982, Rose Kushner developed a second cancer when her implant ruptured and
had to be reinserted. She refused aggressive chemotherapy and was treated with tamoxifen.
She campaigned against aggressive adjuvant chemotherapy in 1984. She was also involved
in an United States Food and Drug Administration study of silicone breast implants
and a DES (diethylstilbestrol) task force to track down the health histories of women
like herself who had taken DES during pregnancy.

Rose Kushner's papers provide information on her professional career as the founder
and executive director of the Women's Breast Cancer Advisory Center. Also included
are family correspondence and materials related to her early career and education.
The core collection (accession numbers: 83-M222, 95-M26, 95-M44) was originally processed
in 1998. A copy of the original inventory is located in box #1. Additional materials
received by the Schlesinger Library (accession numbers: 2006-M1, 2012-M14, 2014-M49)
were added to the collection in May 2016, and are represented in the inventory in
boxes 25-51, DVD-81. Folders are listed in intellectual, not sequential order in this
inventory. When the finding aid was updated in 2016, the folder numbering and container
list were also updated and the additional folders were incorporated within the inventory
in their appropriate series. Originally, folders in the collection were numbered sequentially
#1-#278, but are now numbered by box and folder number (#1.1-#24.9). All original
files remain in the same order. More complete descriptions were added to the series
notes or folder titles when applicable.

Series I, PERSONAL AND FAMILY, 1913-1997 (#1.1-1.16, 25.1-30.2, FD.1-FD.2, T-141.1-T-141.2,
DVD-81.1), includes personal correspondence, notes, clippings, audiocassettes and
partial transcript of an oral history interview, the first chapters of a memoir, and
genealogical and other family data. Rose Kushner's travels to Europe in 1949 are documented
by correspondence with family, with her mentor Dr. W. Horsley Gantt of the Pavlovian
Society of America, and Maurice Hindus, the Russian-American writer, foreign correspondent,
lecturer and authority on Soviet and Central European affairs, and a friend of Dr.
Gantt. There is some correspondence written in Hebrew. Of note are materials related
to Rose Kushner's memorial service in 1990; including professional and personal correspondence
between Harvey and Rose Kushner's colleagues, friends, and supporters, and a DVD of
the memorial at the National Institutes of Health on January 30, 1990. In addition,
this series contains extensive clippings files consisting of articles published in
medical journals and popular press about Rose Kushner and her interests and work in
breast cancer research advocacy. A set of these clippings arrived at the library in
folders by article title, and these have been retained in their original folders (#26.1-27.118).
While this set of clippings contain a few articles by Rose Kushner (#27.21, 27.57,
27.82), for the majority of articles by Kushner, see Series II, Writings. This series
is arranged by subject area.

Series II, WRITINGS, 1951-1990 (#2.1-8.1, 30.3-30.18), includes published articles,
drafts, book outlines, forewords, and related correspondence on breast cancer. There
are papers on experimental psychology, articles and an outline for a novel on Vietnam,
and articles about Kushner's Jewish heritage. Her conference papers and talks, 1976-1989
(#6.5-6.8, 6.10), draw on her own experience as a cancer patient, describe the psychological
and emotional aspects of the disease, emphasize the importance of the support of nurses
and social workers, condemn unnecessary radical mastectomy, and testify that even
radical mastectomy need not be mutilating. The expert testimonies (#6.12-8.1) given
by Kushner to federal agencies, congressional and other committees, and in legal depositions
illustrates her campaign to have annual mammography covered by health insurance, and
her concern for patients' bills of rights. This series is arranged by category.

Series III, CORRESPONDENCE, 1973-1992 (#8.2-11.10, 30.19-50.7) contains professional
correspondence primarily with Rose Kushner in her role as founder and Executive Director
of the Breast Cancer Advisory Center. Correspondents include other medical professionals,
concerned public, patients, advocates, teachers, journals and non-profit health centers
and universities; friends; and others, including staff of the Center and Dr. Thomas
Dao, a medical advisor on the Center's board. Topics in the correspondence folders
include development in cancer therapies; Rose Kushner's books and other writings;
publicity and speaking engagements; correspondence with doctors re: referrals of patients;
Kushner's participation in symposia, lectures, speaking engagements; conferences and
meetings; Kushner's television appearances; Breast Cancer Advisory Center support
and funding; medical malpractice issues; Kushner's health and medical experiences;
discussion of therapies and diagnoses; BreastPAC and other political topics and legislation;
general requests for information and Center brochures. Of note are correspondence
with William E. Colby (#8.6) about rates of cancer in the Soviet Union and Armand
Hammer about Kushner's trip to China (#11.1, 12.2-12.3). Her correspondence with Representative
Mary Rose Oakar (#9.5-9.7, 23.6) documents Kushner's role in developing cancer legislation.

The patient correspondence files primarily consists of letters from individuals reaching
out to Kushner or the Center for support; expressing gratitude to Rose Kushner for
writing her book and for being an advocate; inquiring or commenting on Rose's writings
and opinions; requesting advice about surgery, doctors, and therapies; requesting
recommendations for where to get breast cancer treatment; etc. The Breast Cancer Advisory
Center responded to telephone and written requests for help with free fact sheets
about various aspects of breast cancer, and there are numerous letters from the public
and organizations regarding requests for these informational brochures. There is a
large set of patient letters, spanning multiple years that were sequentially numbered.
The archivist retained this organization, although it is unclear how this numeric
identification was used by the organization. There are also log sheets, which contain
notes most probably taken by staff during telephone conversations with patients, as
well as patient questionnaires that Kushner distributed. Mailings folders (#47.6-47.11)
may include mailing labels of organizations and letters from the organizations, as
well as a copy of the solicitation letter from the Breast Cancer Advisory Center,
either requesting support or purchase of the Center's brochures. This series is arranged
chronologically.

Series IV, ORGANIZATIONS, 1965-1990 (#11.11-24.9, 50.8-51.2), contains materials
related to the organizations Rose Kushner worked with or founded. Included are information
sheets of the Breast Cancer Advisory Center and Kushner's study of state laws on informed
consent (#11.11-11.20). Correspondence with Chinese physicians, and her diary of and
report on her trip to China in 1984, document an epidemic of breast cancer in that
country (#12.1-12.9, 51.2). Minutes and correspondence with the Mammatech Co., the
maker of a breast self-examination kit, illustrate Kushner's view that self-examination
and early detection were key to prevention (#13.4-14.2). Additionally there are incorporation
documents and other papers of the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations,
which Kushner helped to found in 1986 (#14.3-15.1). Minutes, correspondence, and reports
document her service on the National Cancer Advisory Board, 1980-1986. Reports and
correspondence of many National Cancer Institute task forces and projects of which
she was a member are arranged chronologically and include the Office of Cancer Communications
(#18.3-18.6), the Organ System Program (OSP) (#18.7-19.3), the Protocol Data Query
(#19.4-19.7), Low Fat Cancer Trials (#20.1-20.8), and Women's Health Trials (#20.9-21.5).
Other task force papers include a study of silicone breast implants (#7.10, 12.10-13.3),
and of DES (Diethylstilbestrol #23.4-24.1). This series is arranged by organization.

Series V, PHOTOGRAPHS, 1960-1985, n.d. (#PD.1-PD.2, #81, #172) includes publicity
photographs of Rose Kushner; a photograph of Rose and Harvey Kushner with others in
Vietnam(?); Rose Kushner showing a model house to an unidentified man at McCall's Third National Conference on Better Living (#81); and flow charts showing the process
of discovering, diagnosing and treating breast cancer (#81). Photograph folders from
the original processed collections have retained their original folder numbering (#81,
172). The photographs in this collection are or will be digitized and available online.
This series is arranged chronologically, beginning with undated folders.

Scope and Contents: Series I, PERSONAL AND FAMILY, 1913-1997 (#1.1-1.16, 25.1-30.2, FD.1-FD.2, T-141.1-T-141.2,
DVD-81.1), includes personal correspondence, notes, clippings, audiocassettes and
partial transcript of an oral history interview, the first chapters of a memoir, and
genealogical and other family data. Rose Kushner's travels to Europe in 1949 are documented
by correspondence with family, with her mentor Dr. W. Horsley Gantt of the Pavlovian
Society of America, and Maurice Hindus, the Russian-American writer, foreign correspondent,
lecturer and authority on Soviet and Central European affairs, and a friend of Dr.
Gantt. There is some correspondence written in Hebrew. Of note are materials related
to Rose Kushner's memorial service in 1990; including professional and personal correspondence
between Harvey and Rose Kushner's colleagues, friends, and supporters, and a DVD of
the memorial at the National Institutes of Health on January 30, 1990. In addition,
this series contains extensive clippings files consisting of articles published in
medical journals and popular press about Rose Kushner and her interests and work in
breast cancer research advocacy. A set of these clippings arrived at the library in
folders by article title, and these have been retained in their original folders (#26.1-27.118).
While this set of clippings contain a few articles by Rose Kushner (#27.21, 27.57,
27.82), for the majority of articles by Kushner, see Series II, Writings. This series
is arranged by subject area.

1.5. Education: The Robert E. Lee Junior High School and Forest Park High School (P.S.
49), etc., 1966-1986; includes reunion booklet and newsletters, Kushner's paper for
Honors Research in Psychology (1966)

FD.2. Education: University of Maryland commencement program, 1972

1.6. Education: re: nomination for honorary degree at University of Maryland, 1978-1984

27.57. Clippings and articles by Rose Kushner: "Kushner Stands by Her Argument," The Montgomery Journal, July 1985

27.58. Clippings and articles re: Rose Kushner: "Adjuvant Chemotherapy Questionable: Do Side
Effects Outweigh Merits of this Preventive Treatment, Used After Breast Surgery" The Cincinnati Enquirer, August 1985

27.59. Clippings and articles re: Rose Kushner: "Some Chemotherapy Fails against Cancer,"
The New York Times, August 1985

27.73. Clippings and articles re: Rose Kushner: "'I Made That Decision...' Many More Breast
Cancer Patients Have Been Getting Involved in Choosing Their Treatment," The Montgomery Journal, December 1985

Scope and Contents: Series II, WRITINGS, 1951-1990 (#2.1-8.1, 30.3-30.18), includes published articles,
drafts, book outlines, forewords, and related correspondence on breast cancer. There
are papers on experimental psychology, articles and an outline for a novel on Vietnam,
and articles about Kushner's Jewish heritage. Her conference papers and talks, 1976-1989
(#6.5-6.8, 6.10), draw on her own experience as a cancer patient, describe the psychological
and emotional aspects of the disease, emphasize the importance of the support of nurses
and social workers, condemn unnecessary radical mastectomy, and testify that even
radical mastectomy need not be mutilating. The expert testimonies (#6.12-8.1) given
by Kushner to federal agencies, congressional and other committees, and in legal depositions
illustrates her campaign to have annual mammography covered by health insurance, and
her concern for patients' bills of rights. This series is arranged by category.

4.12. On breast cancer, 1988 and prior: "Coping with Breast Cancer: What Health Professionals
Can Do to Help": 3 typescript drafts and printed; review of John F. Potter's How to Improve Your Odds Against Cancer

7.6. Testimony, etc., before Congressional committees, etc.: House Sub-Committee on Health,
1984; includes published hearings re: effect of radiation on human health of the Committee
on Interstate and Foreign Commerce (partial), 1978

Scope and Contents: Series III, CORRESPONDENCE, 1973-1992 (#8.2-11.10, 30.19-50.7) contains professional
correspondence primarily with Rose Kushner in her role as founder and Executive Director
of the Breast Cancer Advisory Center. Correspondents include other medical professionals,
concerned public, patients, advocates, teachers, journals and non-profit health centers
and universities; friends; and others, including staff of the Center and Dr. Thomas
Dao, a medical advisor on the Center's board. Topics in the correspondence folders
include development in cancer therapies; Rose Kushner's books and other writings;
publicity and speaking engagements; correspondence with doctors re: referrals of patients;
Kushner's participation in symposia, lectures, speaking engagements; conferences and
meetings; Kushner's television appearances; Breast Cancer Advisory Center support
and funding; medical malpractice issues; Kushner's health and medical experiences;
discussion of therapies and diagnoses; BreastPAC and other political topics and legislation;
general requests for information and Center brochures. Of note are correspondence
with William E. Colby (#8.6) about rates of cancer in the Soviet Union and Armand
Hammer about Kushner's trip to China (#11.1, 12.2-12.3). Her correspondence with Representative
Mary Rose Oakar (#9.5-9.7, 23.6) documents Kushner's role in developing cancer legislation.

The patient correspondence files primarily consists of letters from individuals reaching
out to Kushner or the Center for support; expressing gratitude to Rose Kushner for
writing her book and for being an advocate; inquiring or commenting on Rose's writings
and opinions; requesting advice about surgery, doctors, and therapies; requesting
recommendations for where to get breast cancer treatment; etc. The Breast Cancer Advisory
Center responded to telephone and written requests for help with free fact sheets
about various aspects of breast cancer, and there are numerous letters from the public
and organizations regarding requests for these informational brochures. There is a
large set of patient letters, spanning multiple years that were sequentially numbered.
The archivist retained this organization, although it is unclear how this numeric
identification was used by the organization. There are also log sheets, which contain
notes most probably taken by staff during telephone conversations with patients, as
well as patient questionnaires that Kushner distributed. Mailings folders (#47.6-47.11)
may include mailing labels of organizations and letters from the organizations, as
well as a copy of the solicitation letter from the Breast Cancer Advisory Center,
either requesting support or purchase of the Center's brochures. This series is arranged
chronologically.

11.8. Correspondence with ICI Pharmaceuticals Group and re: other businesses and screening,
1988

49.6. Correspondence, January 1989

49.7. Correspondence, February 1989

49.8. Correspondence, March 1989

49.9. Correspondence, April 1989

50.1. Correspondence, May-June 1989

50.2. Correspondence, July 1989

50.3. Correspondence, August 1989

50.4. Correspondence, September 1989

50.5. Correspondence, October 1989

50.6. Correspondence, November-December 1989

11.9. Correspondence, 1989

50.7. Brochure orders, 1992

11.10. Correspondence, n.d.

Series IV. ORGANIZATIONS, 1965-1990 (#11.11-24.9, 50.8-51.2)

Scope and Contents: Series IV, ORGANIZATIONS, 1965-1990 (#11.11-24.9, 50.8-51.2), contains materials related
to the organizations Rose Kushner worked with or founded. Included are information
sheets of the Breast Cancer Advisory Center and Kushner's study of state laws on informed
consent (#11.11-11.20). Correspondence with Chinese physicians, and her diary of and
report on her trip to China in 1984, document an epidemic of breast cancer in that
country (#12.1-12.9, 51.2). Minutes and correspondence with the Mammatech Co., the
maker of a breast self-examination kit, illustrate Kushner's view that self-examination
and early detection were key to prevention (#13.4-14.2). Additionally there are incorporation
documents and other papers of the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations,
which Kushner helped to found in 1986 (#14.3-15.1). Minutes, correspondence, and reports
document her service on the National Cancer Advisory Board, 1980-1986. Reports and
correspondence of many National Cancer Institute task forces and projects of which
she was a member are arranged chronologically and include the Office of Cancer Communications
(#18.3-18.6), the Organ System Program (OSP) (#18.7-19.3), the Protocol Data Query
(#19.4-19.7), Low Fat Cancer Trials (#20.1-20.8), and Women's Health Trials (#20.9-21.5).
Other task force papers include a study of silicone breast implants (#7.10, 12.10-13.3),
and of DES (Diethylstilbestrol #23.4-24.1). This series is arranged by organization.

11.11. Breast Cancer Advisory Center: information sheets, 1983-1987

50.8. Breast Cancer Advisory Center: "grant proposals to National Cancer Institute and to
various foundations," 1977-1985

22.6. National Cancer Institute projects: Lasagna Committee: National Committee to Review
Current Procedures and Approval of New Drugs for Cancer and AIDS, 1989: includes correspondence,
agendas, and Kushner's paper

22.7-22.8. National Cancer Institute projects: Lasagna Committee: National Committee to Review
Current Procedures and Approval of New Drugs for Cancer and AIDS: printed background,
1982-1989

Scope and Contents: Series V, PHOTOGRAPHS, 1960-1985, n.d. (#PD.1-PD.2, #81, #172) includes publicity
photographs of Rose Kushner; a photograph of Rose and Harvey Kushner with others in
Vietnam(?); Rose Kushner showing a model house to an unidentified man at McCall's Third National Conference on Better Living (#81); and flow charts showing the process
of discovering, diagnosing and treating breast cancer (#81). Photograph folders from
the original processed collections have retained their original folder numbering (#81,
172). The photographs in this collection are or will be digitized and available online.
This series is arranged chronologically, beginning with undated folders.